


language

by evelyn_hayes



Series: Newtina Ficlets [1]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Compliant, Character Study, EYSSS, Eyes, F/M, Friends to Lovers, I hope, as in Newt written right, eyes like EYES, metaphors live in and throughout this fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-11
Updated: 2018-01-11
Packaged: 2019-03-03 09:21:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13338237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evelyn_hayes/pseuds/evelyn_hayes
Summary: Newton Scamander may be 29, but he does not know all the secrets of the world.





	language

In Newton Scamander's 29 years of life, he has concluded that there are two languages that every human being is expected to know: the language of the tongue and the language of the body. The language of the tongue is more or less simple; it only requires a few established rules and a set vocabulary to know. But the language of the body has _no_ set rules, no given guidelines for anyone to follow; it is simply an expectation, a given.

It has been 29 years Newton Scamander has lived on Earth. He still does not understand the language of the body.

He is not an ignorant man. He knows the basics. He knows that smiles convey happiness and frowns express dislike. Crossed arms mean "don't approach" and a middle finger—well, he knows that he shouldn't be pointing it at just about _anyone_. Years of stealing glances at strangers, eavesdropping on conversations on the train, and his own failed attempts have taught him the guidelines no one would teach him.

What he does _not_  understand, however, is what that _glint_  in a comedian's eye means. He does not see the hidden joke between the comedian and his audience, nor does he see the difference between cold, flinty eyes and soft, tender eyes. There are _depths_ , that he can see, yes. _What_  lies in those depths is the mystery. All he can see are expectant, judging eyes, most definitely thinking, "Why does this man not speak our language? He _should_  speak our language. It's the expectation."

And so he'd duck his gaze and look away.

His fear of those depths never strays far from him. His gaze follows when they do not see him, and he diverts his eyes when they stand to make eye contact. His nagging fear is not just something he can swallow down and jump away from; he has to have _all_ copies of _every_ map of the uncharted territory before he jumps.

Perhaps he should strive to be more accurate. There are  _three_  languages one is expected to speak: the language of the tongue, the language of the body, and the language of the eyes.

So when he first meets Porpentina Goldstein, he expects the same depths in her eyes. And at first, they did. But then time passes, and as time passes, bonds are built and enforced, and the next time he dares to look in her eyes, he is taken aback.

There are no depths.

There are no depths, because everything is laid bare for him. He sees eyes brimming with happiness, tinged with a newfound excitement, and the flap of innocence's wings as it hovers over the tides of joy. There is the thinnest trace of trepidation, or fear crawling in the shadows, but the heavy undergrowth of hope keeps the monsters at bay.

Newton Scamander is honoured to be graced by the presence of such beauty.

As he tries to balance his thoughts in the safety of his suitcase, he realizes that he has miscounted. There are not merely _three_  languages one must speak. There is an _infinity_ , some corporeal, some psychological, some magical. But he is also mistaken in the assumption that there is a requirement to _any_  of them; there is no _need_  to know the language of the tongue and the language of the body and the language of the eyes. There is definitely an _expectation_ , yes, but expectation does not translate to need.

Every single person has a language (or two, or three, or more) they are skilled at. Newt has only one: the language of the creatures. But if he can _build_  a connection between beasts and himself, he will dare to master the language of the heart and soul.

For Tina. For himself.

Newton Scamander may be 29, but he does not know all the secrets of the world. 

**Author's Note:**

> I DID IT IT'S LESS THAN 1K GUYS GUYS Do YoU kNoW hOw MaNy CrApPy DrAfTs I hAvE tHaT Go On FoR 1K AnD iS bOrInG aS HeLl
> 
> I've recently rewatched Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and my love for Newt and Tina has multiplied at least tenfold. I really enjoy writing Newt; he's a character who I relate to very much. The avoiding eye contact thang, the lack of a very active social life because IMMA WRITING AND DRAWING AND FANGIRLING (and homework...ugh), and the out-of-place-ness he feels everywhere just...struck a nerve with 2018 me. 
> 
> There are a thousand Tumblr posts dedicated to Newt's character, but a lot of fanfics have trouble getting his character right, as well as fanart. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing y'all, because your fics are MY LIFEBLOOD and the fanart is like SOOOOO BEAUTIFUL I CAN'T EVEN, and like, I can't compare to you guys, but I just wanted some canon representation of Newt due to the self-righteous fact that I relate to him. 
> 
> I included next to no Tina in this ficlet, but don't worry, this ficlet's got a sequel in Tina's perspective. Tina's also someone I like, because I relate to her ambition and her need to fuel her passion, no matter what, is so freaking admirable. But then she's sweet and kind and she gets excited when the cute British guy in New York that's adorable and respectful with this innate connection with creatures reaches out to touch her hair and obviously wants to see her again. She's sweetly badass, not sassy badass (which is everywhere these days, which isn't a bad thing: I love those guys, its just that we could use some differentiation.)
> 
> Constructive criticism is always welcome, but do note that I don’t underline words out of habit. And please comment what you liked about this fic; it’s slightly different to may usual style and I want to know what you liked so I can keep doing it for you guys :)
> 
> Thanks for reading peeps ;)


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